Privacy Policy – Sthaliya

Effective Date: October 29, 2026

1. Introduction

Sthaliya (“Platform,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. Sthaliya is an online marketplace that promotes local products, traditional artisans, homemade foods, handicrafts, textiles, women entrepreneurs, and small businesses.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, create an account, purchase products, register as a seller, or otherwise interact with our services.

By using our platform, you acknowledge that you have read this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

Personal Information: Name, email address, phone number, billing address, shipping address, and other information you provide when creating an account or placing an order.
Seller and Business Information: Business name, business address, contact details, product information, and identification or verification documents where required.
Payment Information: Transaction details, payment status, billing information, and payment method details. Payments may be processed by third-party payment service providers.
Usage Data: IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, products viewed, and interactions with our website.
Communications: Feedback, reviews, comments, enquiries, and customer support requests.
Technical Data: Cookies, login information, and other technical information required to operate and secure the platform.

3. How We Use Your Information

We may use your information to:

Create and manage customer and seller accounts.
Process orders, payments, refunds, shipping, and deliveries.
Communicate order updates, service announcements, and customer support responses.
Verify seller information and manage product listings.
Improve website functionality, security, and user experience.
Detect fraudulent activity, prevent misuse, and resolve disputes.
Comply with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.
Send promotional communications where permitted by law and subject to your preferences.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

We may share relevant information with:

Sellers and Vendors: To fulfil orders and coordinate product delivery.
Payment Service Providers: To process transactions and refunds securely.
Delivery and Logistics Partners: To ship orders to the correct address.
Technology and Hosting Providers: To maintain the website, manage communications, and provide technical support.
Legal and Regulatory Authorities: Where disclosure is required by applicable law or a valid legal request.

We may also use aggregated or anonymised information for analytics, reporting, and platform improvement.

5. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to help protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss, or misuse.

These measures may include SSL/TLS encryption, access restrictions, secure authentication, and monitoring for suspicious activity.

However, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Sthaliya may use cookies and similar technologies to:

Maintain login sessions and account preferences.
Support shopping cart and checkout functionality.
Remember user settings.
Analyse website performance and usage.
Help detect security threats and fraudulent activity.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. Some website features may not function correctly if essential cookies are disabled.

7. Comments and Reviews

When visitors submit comments, reviews, or other content, we may collect the information displayed in the submission form, the visitor’s IP address, and browser user-agent information to help detect spam and misuse.

If an external avatar service is used, an anonymised identifier derived from your email address may be shared with that service, subject to its privacy policy.

Approved reviews and comments may be visible publicly on the website. Please avoid including confidential or sensitive personal information in public submissions.

8. Media Uploads

If you upload images to Sthaliya, avoid including unnecessary personal or location information in the files.

Images may contain embedded metadata, including location data (EXIF GPS). Other users may be able to download published images and inspect available metadata.

9. Embedded Content from Other Websites

Our website may include embedded content such as videos, images, maps, or social media posts.

Embedded content from third-party websites may collect information, use cookies, or track your interaction according to the privacy practices of those websites. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.

10. Password Resets and Account Security

If you request a password reset, technical information such as your IP address may be included in the reset email or associated security records where necessary.

You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential and notifying us if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including:

Maintaining customer and seller accounts.
Processing orders, payments, refunds, and returns.
Keeping transaction and business records required by law.
Resolving disputes and enforcing our terms.
Maintaining security and preventing fraud.

Reviews, comments, and their associated metadata may be retained while they remain relevant to the website or as required for moderation, legal, or security purposes.

When information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete or anonymise it, subject to applicable legal obligations.

12. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may have the right to:

Request access to personal information we hold about you.
Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Request deletion of personal information where legally permissible.
Request a copy of your personal information.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
Opt out of promotional communications.
Raise a privacy concern or complaint.

Some information may need to be retained for tax, accounting, legal, fraud prevention, or security purposes.

To exercise your rights, please contact us using the contact details provided below.

13. Children’s Privacy

Sthaliya is intended for individuals who are legally able to use the platform and make purchases under applicable law. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children in violation of applicable legal requirements.

If you believe a child has provided personal information unlawfully, please contact us so that we can review the matter.

14. Third-Party Services

Sthaliya may rely on third-party providers for payment processing, website hosting, analytics, shipping, communications, and spam detection.

These providers may process relevant information to deliver their services under their own terms and privacy policies. We encourage users to review those policies where applicable.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, technology, or legal requirements.

Any revised policy will be published on the Sthaliya website with an updated effective date. Where required, we will notify users of significant changes.

16. Contact Us

For questions, privacy requests, complaints, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact:

Website: Sthaliya
Phone: 9606894444
Privacy Enquiries: Please contact us using the phone number above.

We will review and respond to privacy-related requests in accordance with applicable law.

Additional WordPress Website Information

The following provisions apply only if the corresponding features are enabled on the Sthaliya website.

Login Cookies

When you visit the login page, a temporary cookie may be used to check whether your browser accepts cookies. When you log in, cookies may store your login status and display preferences. Their duration depends on the website configuration and your selected options.

Article Editing

If registered users or administrators can edit or publish content, a cookie may be stored to identify the relevant edited content. Such cookies may expire after a short period, depending on the website configuration.

Spam Detection

Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service to help prevent unwanted or harmful submissions.

Account Information

Registered users may be able to view or update their profile information through their account settings. Authorised website administrators may access or update account information when necessary for platform operation, customer support, security, or legal compliance.

Data Export and Deletion Requests

Registered users may request an export of personal information held by Sthaliya or request deletion where permitted by applicable law. Such requests do not include information that must be retained for legal, administrative, accounting, or security purposes.